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‘Abbas to discuss prisoners with Obama’

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 12, 2013 5:40AM GMT

The acting Palestinian Authority Chief, Mahmoud Abbas is expected to discuss the issue of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails during an upcoming meeting with the US President Barack Obama, an official says.

A Palestinian official in Ramallah said on Monday that Abbas would ask Obama to put pressure on the Tel Aviv regime to release the Palestinian detainees, especially those who have gone on hunger strike.

“The issue of the prisoners will be the No. 1 issue during the talks with President Obama. Abbas will also demand the release of prisoners who have been on hunger strike for the past few months,” the official also said.

Israel’s plan to construct thousands more illegal settler units on the occupied Palestinian land would also be on Abbas’s agenda in the planned meeting with Obama, the official added.

Obama will pay a three day visit to the occupied territories on March 20-22.

On Monday, hundreds of Palestinians held protests across the occupied West Bank in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held in the Israeli jails.

On Saturday, A group called “Palestinian For Dignity” called for nationwide protests against Obama’s visit to the Palestinian territories, “We call upon our people to demonstrate against receiving he who considers himself Israel’s No. 1 ally.”